Bentley found success as a songwriter, having penned Faith Hill's 1999 crossover single "Breathe", as well as Martina McBride's 2002 Top 5 hit "Concrete Angel".
Bentley was born in Thomasville, Georgia and her musical interests began at age nine, when she, her sister, and a friend entered and won a talent contest.
One of the songs for which she sang a demo was "Shake the Sugar Tree", which later became a Top 5 hit when Pam Tillis recorded it for her 1992 album Homeward Looking Angel.
Her first chart entry in 1996 was as a duet partner on Ty Herndon's single "Heart Half Empty", (from his debut album What Mattered Most) which peaked at No.
In addition, she wrote two singles for Gloriana: "Wild at Heart" in 2009 with Josh Kear and Matt Serletic, and "Can't Shake You" in 2012 with Tom Gossin and James T. Slater.